"..."
Setting his foot on the region he once reigned supreme, Kevin gazes at the reconstructed Elemental Council, which lost half of its original look back in the Ancient Era
Memories of the Sacred Conflict flow through Kevin's mind, allowing him to recall most of the events that happened in the Sacred Conflict…
620 years ago, in Planet Sudania...
"HRAAAH!!" Kevin, the Ruler of Light and the leader of the battle, shouted as he engaged combat with the Prime Corruption, Senoria
During that time, which is known as the climax of the Ancient Era, Planet Sudania experienced nothing but pure chaos. Wars waged everywhere; there were no safe place in the said planet
Rulers of Water, Ice, Flame, Earth, Thunder of the Ancient Era fought bravely alongside Kevin to save the planet from the disaster. Among them, the Flame Ruler, Dainos, fought the bravest to save his own region
"WRETCHED BASTARDS!! THE FLAME WILL NEVER FALL!!!" Dainos' battle cry echoed throughout the then-enormous Flame Region, heightening everyone's battle spirit in the region
He was confronted by another envoy of Corruption other than Serevia, who called himself "The Reaper"
Dainos directly engaged in combat with "The Reaper" with his Imaginary Spear. While their battle left the Flame Region in ruins, Dainos' blood was eventually stained on the scythe of "The Reaper"
His defeat allowed "The Reaper" to spread the Corruption Essence throughout the Flame Region, which was almost half the landmass of the planet, as a sign of victory
While "The Reaper" was proven too tough for Dainos, the Ruler of Thunder and Rosaline's predecessor, Ranacia, had a battle till death with a clone of "The Reaper"
Before the Sacred Conflict was orchestrated, Serevia created two clones of herself so the three of them could invade the Water, Earth and Ice Regions.
While "The Reaper" created one clone of himself so the two of them could invade the Flame and Thunder Regions.
Lastly, Senoria will attack Kevin and the Unity Region personally
Back to the topic, Ranacia, being the most powerful Ruler at the time, engaged a scythe-focused combat with the clone of "The Reaper"
Multiple unknown dimensions were torn open, and Ranacia's ferocious attacks pinned the clone down, but the clone had some counterattacks up in his sleeves, so they were even in combat
Eventually, as their stamina was exhausted, they both succumbed to each other's scythe impalement. The Corruption Essence only managed to spread 25% of the Thunder Region
All other Rulers, except for Kevin, fell to Serevia and her clones, with Serevia fully retaining her powers after executing the said Rulers
The same could not be said for "The Reaper", as his only clone was executed, he was in bad shape. Afterwards, both Corruption envoys wait for the Prime Corruption to return
…
At that time, Senoria was confronted by the only three Light users in Planet Sudania: Kevin, Sharon and Cencilia Flori
Kevin was the Ruler of Light, while Sharon was his partner and only mentee. Cencilia Flori, as a special woman who received the benediction of Risa, the Sustainer of Light, through rigorous training without mentorship, joined forces in defending Planet Sudania
While the trio managed to push Senoria back, the latter unleashed a technique that obliterated the influence of Light throughout the planet: The Extinction
Through that technique, which was a massive release of Corruption Essence, Kevin, Sharon and Cencilia were extremely weakened, and the entirety of the planet was covered by Corruption Essence
At that moment, Senoria sent both Sharon and Cencilia flying and called them "unworthy", with Cencilia being sent to another planet, while Sharon remained at Planet Sudania but far away from Kevin
Hence, with Kevin captured and Sharon anticipating his return, this marked the end of the Ancient Era…
Back in the present, in the Elemental Council, Unity Region
"..."
Kevin gently touches the walls of the council, realising that the walls' rigidity have been improved
Afterwards, he hears footsteps that inches closer and closer
"I knew you would be back…"
Kevin turns around and sees a familiar figure with dark hair and black outfit with golden stripes
"...Kevin"
"Sharon…"
...
3 days later after the battle with Fernus…
"..."
Claire, lying on a medical bed, is regaining her consciousness before she hears a faint voice calling her name
"Claire? Claire?"
The voice becomes clearer and clearer, and Claire's vision recovers over time
"Wakey wakey, Claire, no time to sleep now"
"Who in the…"
Claire's vision suddenly becomes clear and sees Daydrine up close
"WHAT THE-"
Acting on impulse, Claire punches Daydrine, but the latter stops it using her right hand
"Calm down, Claire, we're here to check your condition. By the way, this is Daydrine, Frost's sister" Flare says before Claire cools herself down and retracts her fist
"Sorry, Daydrine…"
"Ah, it's alright"
Both short-haired girls' faces become red due to embarassment, which Flare finds unusual
"Flame Ruler, I believe Claire is well enough to be discharged" a medical staff says to Flare
"Alright. Let's go, Claire, there are some things I wanna show you"
"Okay…"
Right before the Flame Duo leaves the medical centre, Flare still has one more question for Daydrine
"Daydrine, where did Jason and Blossom go? I've heard that they were in here as well to receive treatment"
"They've returned to their respective regions, Flare"
"I see"
...
Meanwhile in the Earth Region...
City of Junast, the capital city of Earth Region, is where all the scholars of the Six Regions meet, while also acts as the main operating center for the Rulers of Earth
"Flamy, you did well" Jason, who has been absent for days, praises Flamy for managing the Earth Region effectively
"Thank you, Jason! Although when many calls out my name, they often thought that I'm somewhat related to the Flame element"
"Haha, I believe they merely jest" Jason says before both of them starts to mind their own businesses
However, Jason thought of an idea that'll further test Flamy since she's the impending successor of his
"Flamy, have a moment?"
"What's wrong, Jason?"
"Let's have a friendly sparring match! You and me"
"Well…I can't afford to back down from a challenge!"
"Come, let's go somewhere empty"
A random open field, Earth Region
"...Now then"
Flamy forges an Imaginary Spear out of Earth energy, making it light golden in colour. Afterwards, she lifts it towards Jason
Jason is unarmed, and is observing Flamy with his arms crossed
"Well I've never seen that weapon of yours, Flamy, how about yo–"
Before Jason could finish his words, Flamy has already approached him at point blank range
"!"
Despite that, Jason reacts in time and dodges every single spear strikes Flamy launched at him
Then, Jason catches her spear using his fingers
"Don't rely on brute force, Flamy"
"Tch"
Flamy shoves Jason off before unleashing a spear slash, which Jason dodges effortlessly yet again
Using his hand gestures, Jason commands a small area of the ground platform below Flamy to be launched upwards
BAM
Flamy holds herself on the platform during the launch so she won't fall easily
As the platform reaches the clouds, Jason appears right above Flamy, who is still unwary of his ambush
"Over here!"
"!"
Without a second thought, Jason kicks Flamy downwards, shattering the ground platform in the meantime
As Flamy is sent downwards, she immediately controls her flight and has anticipated that Jason will launch a follow-up attack from the front
"Hmph"
Flamy combines her Earth energy and hand gestures to accelerate the gravity in front of her, from 9.81 metres per second to 72.45 kilometres per second, in order to trap Jason
However, as she does, she can't see Jason in front of her at all
…
"Checkmate"
With his Imaginary Blade right behind Flamy's neck, Jason immediately claims victory, shocking Flamy to her core
"..."
"I see your plan way ahead of you, Flamy"
"So…I've lost?"
"Not exactly. You've put on a great fight, but you still have a lot to learn"
"I see…"
Both Jason and Flamy deactivates their respective weapons, effectively ending their sparring session and calling it a day
"But I saw that you rely more on brute force than a tactical approach. I believe you want to balance the two as you battle?"
"Exactly"
"That…is deemed challenging"
"What do you mean by that?"
"In all honesty, I'm more into tactical approaches than brute force. Not even I can maintain a balance between the two"
"..."
"But if you really strive for that balance, I'm certain that you'll be a remarkable warrior in the future"
Jason takes a deep breath and says while smiling
"While also taking over my place as the Ruler of Earth"
"...Thank you…"
Afterwards, both of them part ways
...
Meanwhile in the Flame Region...
"Lady Claire! It's nice to see you again!" An old lady calls out Claire, who is exploring Flarene City, the capital city of the Flame Region, with Flare
"Hi there! You are…?"
"Oh you're forgetful as always, my dear. I'm the owner of that store, where you helped me sort my groceries every day!" The old lady says while pointing towards a store full of vegetables and fruits to be sold
"..." Claire contemplates as she tries to recall the past
"Say, where have you been, Claire? You've been absent for more than a week"
"I…travelled outside…"
"Ohoho, you've travelled far away from here to fend off the Corruption! May Duke bless you, child"
"...Thank you"
The old lady turns her gaze towards Flare, who is not paying attention to the conversation
"Flame Ruler, you gotta watch over your little sister, alright? She has been naughty lately, sneaking out of here unbeknownst to you"
"Ah, will do…"
"Plus, she might be your successor…or do you have other plans for her?"
Flare simply smirks
Afterwards, the old lady returns to her store while Flare and Claire proceed with their objective
"Well, I didn't expect you to be this kind while not being under my care"
"...Shut up, non-punctual Ruler"
"Hey, I've changed since you went missing!"
"..."
Claire falls silent, followed by Flare; both have questions to ask each other regarding Claire's disappearance
"Let's stop here"
Flare says before he and Claire sit on a bench nearby
"Claire, you went missing…without me noticing back then. How did that happen?"
"Fernus' Flame…wasn't as easy as it looks"
"How so?"
"The dimension you guys entered to save me…it appeared before me right I was patrolling around this exact spot"
"When was it?"
"It was midnight, and not even the guards were active at that time, nor there were any citizens around…I was all alone"
"..."
"After the dimension appeared in front of me, a hand instantly dragged me inside the dimension and the entrance shutted down a second later"
"But we both knew that the Fernus' Flame was something we swore to not touch, why did you…?"
"Initially, I was following the path of Duke. But after I entered the dimension involuntarily, I was bathed with the dimension's lava"
"What in the…"
"At first, it didn't do anything as I used a barrier, the one that you taught me, to protect myself. But my mind…was taken over easily by Fernus and by the time I realised it, I was no longer in control of my own body…"
"I see…"
"But the citizens were not hostile towards me…what did you do, Flare?"
"I…didn't disclose your disappearance to the citizens, nor to the guards"
"Ah…"
"When the guards asked me regarding your whereabouts, I simply said that I've sent you to an expedition"
"But why…?"
"I didn't want them to overthink your situation, they might even assume that you're hostile towards the Flame Region because you simply left without a trace"
"..."
"I wasn't able to protect you there, Claire. And for that, I'm sorry. But regardless, it's good to have you back"
"It wasn't entirely your fault, I was dumb enough to roam around the city in the middle of the night. But…yeah"
Their conversation ends with a hug, and they proceed to explore the Flame Region afterwards
Back in the Elemental Council, Unity Region...
Kevin and Sharon sit on a table where meetings are usually held
"It has been centuries since we last met, Kevin"
"I thought…you were dead…"
"Oh?"
Sharon gently smiles and pats Kevin's back
"Silly, I won't die! I just hid myself from the public"
"Ahaha…hm?"
Kevin notices the cloak on the chair Sharon's sitting
"You hide yourself from the public…using that cloak?"
"...Yeah" Sharon is in deep thought as she looks at the cloak
"Y'know, Kevin, right after the Sacred Conflict, this planet was covered entirely by Corruption Essence"
"..."
"I was powerless back then, wandered aimlessly throughout the Corruption-infested land.
"...What about the people?"
"Some citizens trapped themselves underground, and I've overheard their conversation, saying 'Senoria is still here' without knowing it was my own footsteps"
"I see…"
"My powerlessness plunged Planet Sudania into darkness…"
"Don't blame yourself…I was at fault too"
"It's fine, Kevin. It was the case until 450 years ago, when I decided to go to a remote location and…"
"?"
"Burn all my Light energy to give Planet Sudania a new hope…"
"?!"
Kevin immediately places his palms on Sharon's shoulders
"Are you sure you're alright, Sharon??"
Kevin checks Sharon's body condition, but found no abnormalities
"I-I'm alright, Kevin, d-don't worry" Sharon says while blushing
"Oh…sorry"
Kevin calms himself down and lets go Sharon
"Anyways…the energy I unleashed dissipated a large area of Corruption Essence. But I fell into a deep slumber afterwards…"
"So you were the one behind this planet's sudden rejuvenation… has no one been able to find you there?"
"None, the place I kept myself hidden was near a Corruption-heavy zone, I assumed no one dared to trespass the area"
"How long have you been sleeping?"
"No idea. But when I woke up, I saw walls built up before me"
"Walls? You mean the ones surrounding the Six Regions right now?"
"It should be that. By using Light energy, I phased through a part of the wall and ended up in a city…"
300 years prior…
Raikiri City, Thunder Region
"Ruler of Thunder, here's the latest update of the Crimson Thunder crisis"
One of Rosaline's subordinates handed a document to her
"Thanks! By the way, just call me by my name, Rosaline, next time"
"A-Ah, will do" The subordinate slowly left
"Rosaline, the Ruler of Thunder…"
Sharon, wearing a cloak to hide her own identity, mumbled as she passed through Rosaline in the city
"Strange…Rosaline isn't as cunning and ferocious as Ranacia, she's rather…kind…"
Sharon thought for a bit
"Perhaps she's trying to redefine the core nature of Thunder users?"
"..." Sharon silently left the area
Sharon's cloak was rather…unique, being able to suppress Sharon's remaining Light energy from the public
A while later, Sharon overheard conversations from the locals
"Hey did you hear? Some records surfaced to prove that the Ruler of Light existed before!"
"The records state that the Ruler of Light disappeared since 450 years ago, some even speculated that he died"
Hearing the phrase "died" triggered Sharon, and as she was about to tell the truth…
"HE ISN'T–!!"
"Huh?"
Sharon stopped, and the two locals curiously looked at her
"Um…young lady? Are you alright?"
"...I'm fine, sorry about that"
Sharon left quietly, leaving the two locals speechless before their conversation continued
"..." Sharon sat down near a corridor, contemplating her previous actions
Sharon knew that her words, while true, will only draw criticisms and disbeliefs, especially when her true identity was revealed
She would seek Rosaline's aid, but due to her powerlessness, she was afraid
Eventually, she found a hidden corridor in Raikiri City and sat there until midnight
"..."
Sharon emitted a small Light energy sphere on her right palm
Afterwards, she whispered
"Kevin, under my efforts, the Light Branch regained hope"
Her efforts were not acknowledged by the Median Era people
But she knew that her mission was a success
"But…when will you ever return?"
Sharon shed tears while slowly hugged the Light energy sphere using her whole body
She fell asleep soon after
As a wanderer, Sharon travelled endlessly throughout the Six Regions for centuries…
Without involving herself in any major events during the Median Era…
Present day…
Elemental Council, Unity Region
"...It really was tough for you, Sharon"
"Yeah…but let's not dwell into the past. After all, let bygones be bygones, right?"
"But…without you, Sharon, there will be no Six Regions here today…"
"Preeeecisely!"
"?"
An energetic voice startles both Light users a bit, and when the two shift their gazes towards the voice's source, their visions are greeted with all the Rulers of the Current Era
Flare Ashenar, Jason, Frost, Raika and Blossom. Alongside their closed ones such as Daydrine, Rosaline, Claire Ashenar, Flamy and so forth
"Frost, how did you…?" Kevin asks after being surprised
"Sorry in advance, but I overheard that this elegant lady right here is the creator of the Six Regions!"
"..." Sharon remains silent, but Raika backs Frost up
"Without this lady, we would've been doomed by the Corruption right here and now"
Daydrine and Frost present relics from the Ice Region that are successfully preserved due to Sharon's efforts
Flare and Claire light up Duke's Torch, a special torch that symbolises the everburning spirit of the Flame Region
Blossom, ever empathetic, tearfully embraces Sharon, thanking her for giving the Water Region a chance to thrive further beyond
Jason then stands out from the gang and says
"On behalf of the Six Regions and their citizens"
All of them bow down to Sharon and say
"WE THANK YOU!"
Sharon is deeply touched; she has never been appreciated in her entire life. With this, she feels as if everyone appreciates her efforts of Sudania's rejuvenation
"I…"
Sharon couldn't say a word, she couldn't hold back her tears either
But she did something else that she has never done in her life; she smiled
"There there, let it all out" Kevin approaches Sharon and comforts her since Sharon is about to be overrun by her emotions
"Let's go, guys! Cheer her up!"
Everyone has a whale of a time…
Elemental Council, once a serious meeting centre, now a joyful party hub
...
After the celebration, Sharon begins her storytelling to everyone
"Y'know, after my journey in the Thunder Region, I've explored other regions too!"
As Sharon begins her storytelling, everyone else sit on the table while some of them, including Frost, sit on the floor
"There, I met most of your predecessors"
"Predecessors…?"
"Terisha, the Ruler of Earth. Flarene, the Flame Ruler. Crystalia, the Ruler of Ice. And…you, Rosaline!"
"Me…? But how?"
"I was the one wearing this cloak, did you notice me?"
"OH! SO THAT WAS YOU!!"
The Elemental Council is filled with laughter, but the situation becomes tense afterwards
"But Blossom, I didn't see your predecessor…the Ruler of Water of the Median Era"
"Oh…"
"But I've noticed something else while I was exploring the Water Region"
"What is it, Sharon?" Blossom curiously asks
"I've seen portraits of your predecessor, Glace, in the region, Blossom. But her appearance…is eerily similar to Serevia…"
"Serevia…?"
"No way…"
As someone who only met the Prime Corruption and not her envoy, Blossom is speechless, but the term "Serevia" shocked Raika to her core
"You…"
"Raika, stop! It wasn't her fault!"
Rosaline stops Raika from striking Blossom, who is still clueless. Raika calms herself down afterwards
"Serevia was an envoy of the Prime Corruption, Senoria"
"!"
Blossom is utterly dumbfounded; she never expected her own predecessor and mentor, Glace, to betray the Six Regions
"But how…"
"I'd advise you to take this as a grain of salt, everyone"
"..."
Everyone fell silent, including Kevin
At the same time, Blossom's Water Resonator, a special communicating device between the people in Laviosa Elegrance and herself, flickers rapidly
"Hm?"
Blossom lifts the device near her face
"BLOSSOM! LAVIOSA…IS UNDER ATTACK!!"
"Hang on! I'll be there shortly!"
Blossom deactivates the device
"What's wrong, Blossom?" Raika asks
"The Water Region…is under attack"